Hello,

I've always found inspiring and interesting tricks from this forum. Now, I'm thinking to add a wide-angle lens on my M2 as a gift to myself during holidays, given the economy downturn, I might get a Voigtlander 21 or 28 instead of the Leica-lens to Leica body theory.

I have the MR4 meter mounted all the time and found it very convenient to use, how could I add a external viewfinder on the body as well. The only acc. I'd think of is buying the V'lander's double-shoe-mount, but it loses the dial control. The other way of course is use an external meter or mount it on later meter-Ms.

From my experience reading this forum, there're always people know how to solve things like this :)

Happy holidays! Fred

-- Fred Ouyang (yo54@columbia.edu), December 02, 2001

Answers

If your M2 and MR-4 are in nice condition you could most likely get enough for them in a private sale or online auction to cover the cost of a new M6, or a used M6 and some of the cost of the wide-angle. That would certainly be the way I'd go. Other, more compromising solutions: 1. Hand-hold the MR-4 when the accessory finder is mounted. 2. Sell the MR-4, get a Sekonic L-208 Twin-Mate and a Voigtlander double-shoe adaptor (the MR-4 and finder won't both fit the double- shoe). 3. Buy a spare shoe and screws from Leica, have a good repairman drill and tap the center of the baseplate to attach it. Mounting the finder on the bottom would give the same viewpoint as if it were on top.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), December 02, 2001.

There is no good way to accomplish your goal. You could screw a short 1/4 thread into the tripod socket and then screw the other end into a shoe adapter with a threaded 1/4inch hole on the bottom (I know they exist, as I have one) You would have to view/shoot upside down ala Rollei 35 to use the finder. The problem is that the tripod socket is way off center on the M cameras, so for more close up shots, parralax would be a problem. When I use my Voigtlander 25mm and finder on my M3, I stick the meter in my pocket and pull it out to check lighting from time to time.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), December 02, 2001.

One last idea, is if you get the 28mm, just look around to the edges of the frame in the M2 outside the 35 lines and you will be at least in the ball park for the 28mm angle of view.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), December 02, 2001.

I have a similar problem with my M4 and 21 SA. After scratching my head over it, I decided the field of the 21 was so wide that careful metering of a small area (e.g. MR) was probably not productive technique. I decided to use a hand-held incident meter and learn by experience. I feel less compulsive about metering now, and more confident about using the 21 impulsively. I save careful metering for the longer lenses, esp the 50mm and 90mm.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), December 02, 2001.

No problem, just get a TOOM. That's the code for Leica's flash bracket. It screws onto the baseplate of the camera and is designed to hold a flash gun in its standard accessory shoe. While it will offset your viewfinder a couple of inches to the right, that should be no problem with a wide angle lens.

-- Wilhelm (bmitch@home.com), December 02, 2001.

Fred: Most of these ideas will work. But IMHO putting the old Leica meter and a separate bracket on a nice compact M2 just creates a Frankenstein's monster that makes the R8 seem small by comparison. Take off the Leica meter and get a compact hand-held incident meter - more consistent in a lot of light and gives you the shoe back.

For a 28 you can indeed get away with with using the whole M2 finder as your frame - after all, the .72 M6 has the same field of view - just adds the brightlines. My first M experience was an M2/28 combo - it worked fine.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), December 02, 2001.

Thanks folks, I thought given M2 and M6 have the same .72 finder, M2 is slightly small on the edges, but now from your experience I can confirm it'll work as M6. Also I learned there's use on the bottom of the camera too, the tripod socket. Next time if I try to add anything onto the camera I'll think about bottom first :) I was lazy to carry two pieces on the street, that's why I haven't used my Rolleiflex TLR for a while, the seperate meter and level are too much although it's a nice camera.

Fred Ouyang

-- Fred Ouyang (yo54@columbia.edu), December 03, 2001.